


Nonpareil

by Paraphfernalia



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bofur's Hat?, Detectives, Drugs, F/M, Gangs, badassery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-20 07:53:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3642528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paraphfernalia/pseuds/Paraphfernalia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU. Erebor Industries is a renowned jewelry empire, once belonging to the Durinson family. As a homicide detective, Fíli has his fill of crime and punishment in his day job. Until his uncle, Thorin, decides it is high time to reclaim the family business. By any means necessary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Citrine

**Author's Note:**

> This ship sort of punched me in the face and took over my life. But I'm glad it's brought me back to writing! I hope to update every other week, but please don't murder me if I get a little lost on the way.

The welcoming chime of a bell overhead signaled Fíli's entrance into the gas station he frequented before and after (hell, sometimes during) many of his shifts. He was damn well sure that by this point in his career, he bled cheap general store coffee. He gave a quick nod to the young man behind the cash register, Ori. He frequented this place so much, he'd come to know the shifts of all of the cashiers and a bit too much of their back stories. Ori was a decent enough guy, working a few dead-end jobs to support his oldest brother's family, while the second brother did time in the slammer for multiple counts of varying degrees of theft. Most people with relatives, friends, or baby daddies in prison had a bone to pick with any and all cops. But not Ori. He always sported a goofy grin and even tipped him off if any Orcs or Goblins wandered into his store.

Out of habit, Fíli scanned the security mirrors in the corners of the stores while he walked to the cold drinks. The only other person was a guy who frequented the porno mags in the back of the store. Who even paid for porn these days? And from a gas station, no less.

As he reached the corner with the beer and spirits, he heard the bell at the front of the store chime again, immediately followed by two feminine voices.

"Gas station pizza, again?" Came a whiny, high-pitched voice that almost made him cringe.

"I'm sorry, Til. You know I've got a huge exam tomorrow, I just don't have time to cook anything tonight." Out of the corner of his eye, Fíli saw the two girls heading towards the opposite side of the same aisle, where hours-old pizza was bubbling and kept hot in a metal lazy susan. "What kind do you want?"

The older girl was pulling a few slices out of the rotating pizza display and placing them in a ready-made take home box next to the hot food station. She turned to the younger girl when she didn't answer. "Most kids love pizza."

From his spot, he didn't think the older girl could be more than 23, but the younger one had to be at least 7. It was a shame the stupid public school system didn't teach actual sex education. Maybe teen pregnancy wouldn't be so glorified and --

"Most kids have a mom and a sister, not one who does a shitty job at both," 'Til' muttered under her breath, though quite loud enough for even porn-mag-man in the corner to look over at them. Well, that answered that question.

"Tilda!" The older sister gasped, bending down so she could take a hold of the girl's arm and meet her eyes. Fíli had been so engrossed in this exchange that meant nothing to him, that when he shifted his vantage point to make sure no physical altercation occurred, the refrigerator door that had been resting against his shoulder slammed back against the frame. Both of the girls turned to look at him suddenly, and he turned back to the fridge to resume pretending to inspect which beer he would take home that night.

She loosened her grip on Tilda's arm until she was just loosely resting her hand on her charge's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Sigrid," Tilda was explaining in a small voice. "I didn't mean that. I... I miss when it was all four of us getting pizza and staying up late. You're so busy lately with school, I'm afraid you'll disappear just like Da." The young girl started picking a few slices of pepperoni pizza out of the display and adding them to the box on the counter.

"I'm not leaving you, Tilda. Do you think Bain could sew up your jackets and bandage your scrapes? And  _cook_  something edible?" She made a face at which Tilda's giggled. "And Da hasn't disappeared. In fact, he said he would try and come home this weekend."

But Tilda's didn't seem as excited as her older sister expected. "I still don't understand why we can't go live with him." She added a few napkins to the box of pizza, which Sigrid closed soon after with a sigh.

"Laketown isn't a place for children, Til."

Fíli looked over at the two girls again, with a frown. Laketown? No, it certainly wasn't a town for children, teenagers, or consenting adults. He pulled a case of whatever beer was cheapest out of the fridge, and migrated down the aisle to pretend-contemplate some chips.

Laketown was a port city, and had once been a key means of transporting all sorts of goods across Rhovanion. Thanks to a few ill-meaning slum lords, the ports slowly began to introduce more lucrative trade -- drugs, weapons, even human cargo crossed those waters, now. Fíli had more than a few cases that led him into the underbelly of Laketown, and each time he dreaded going back. If the father of these girls lived and worked on the Long Lake, the odds that he was an unsavory character were pretty high.

At least the guy thought enough to send his kids away, for what it was worth.

"I'm older now, Sig! I can take care of myself!" The small girl protested, who wasn't in the least bit even slightly intimidating.

Sigrid opened her mouth, undoubtedly to argue with the little girl, when the chime above the door sounded again, and heavy footfalls broke the temporary silence. He saw Sigrid glance towards the door and snap her mouth shut with an audible click.

"Let's go home, hmm?" She offered the Tilda a thin smile, and reached down to take her hand. Fíli had a feeling that under normal circumstances, the younger sister would have argued, but she simply nodded solemnly and let Sigrid lead her to the cash register.

Fíli poked his head around the end of the aisle to see what had spooked them so badly.

Shit. A Goblin.

He hadn't even heard the bike pull up, but the guy was unmistakably part of the Goblin gang. He wore ripped, dirty jeans, and a black wife beater that did nothing to hide his rounded pot-belly. The spiked leather jacket he was wearing had the Goblin insignia stamped on the front and in large print on the back, in case anyone had their doubts and wanted to invite him over for tea. The nail in the coffin was the gold ring slung through the man's septum, a telltale characteristic many Goblin members adopted.

He was shorter than Fíli, which bode well if it came down to hand-to-hand combat, but likely the Goblin didn't play fair.

Sigrid quickly placed her purchases on the counter in front of Ori. She was trying to get herself and her sister out of the situation as quickly as possible, and rightfully so. However, things just couldn't work out on Fíli's night off.

"What are you doing tonight?" The Goblin leered at Sigrid, as he made a tight half-circle around her, leaning against the side of the counter with a predatory grin. 

She tried to ignore him as she pulled a few crumpled bills out of her purse, and Fíli could tell her hand was shaking as she passed them over to Ori.

"Hey!" The man slammed his open palm against the countertop, causing Sigrid, Tilda, and Ori to jump at the noise. " _I asked you a question_." He ground out between gritted teeth, obviously not in the mood to be a decent human being.

"I-I have plans tonight." Sigrid answered truthfully, her hand tightening around Tilda's as the younger girl cowered behind her leg. Fíli would give the guy a chance to do the right thing and step off before he intervened, though he was conscious of the weight of his Sig Sauer pressed against his side in its holster. He silently lowered the six-pack of beer to the floor.

The Goblin barked out a laugh, but his good nature seemed to be short lived. He rounded on Sigrid again, and before she could react, she was looking down the barrel of a Glock. "Hand over your purse, and empty the register," the last part he directed over the counter to Ori, whose eyes wandered to the corner mirrors, undoubtedly looking for some help.

Fíli studied the angle in the mirrors as well, and silently cursed. The Goblin was on the other side of Sigrid now, with his back to the door. He couldn't get a clear shot or even get a lock on the guy from over here. Reaching under his coat, he pulled out his Sig Sauer and quickly switched the safety off, crouching lower to the ground and backing down the aisle towards the back of the store. If he could just inch around to porn-mag-man, he could come out from that aisle with a clear shot and the upper hand.

"Hurry up!" The assailant spat, pulling the purse from Sigrid's shoulder, where it got caught on the intertwined hands of the two sisters. Tilda let out a whimper as she was forced to relinquish her death grip to hand over the purse. The older sister maneuvered Tilda behind her, as if to protect her from the looming figure in front of them. She took a single step backwards, but stopped as the Goblin turned his sights back to her. He pulled some loose papers out of her purse and dropped them on the floor, obviously digging for something of more worth. When he didn't find anything that piqued his interest, he tossed the purse to the ground with a loud grunt. "What is this?" He demanded.

"I'm sorry sir, we don't have much," Sigrid mumbled in return, still keeping one of her hands wrapped tightly around Tilda's, the little girl cowering behind her older sister's legs.

Ori began pulling bills out of the cash register and setting them on the counter, though he continuously looked around the store, probably wondering where Fíli had disappeared to. He caught sight of the brown jacket Fíli was wearing sneaking across the back of the store to the closest aisle. The Goblin's back was turned, his attentions focused on the golden-haired woman in the store, so he had no idea his day was about to go to shit.

The Goblin took another step towards Sigrid, who took an answering step back, before he reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder to halt her backwards movement. "Well, how are you gonna make it up to me?" He sneered, running his hand up her shoulder until it rested against her throat. If he just squeezed, he could crush her windpipe. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and her nervous swallow as she tried to remain strong for her younger sister. His fingers twisted in a silver chain against her neck and he tugged it roughly. The clasp broke and he pulled it out from her shirt to assess his new prize.

Sigrid gasped, her hand flying to her throat as soon as it was free of his fingers. "Please, don't take that," she pleaded. 

Tilda poked her head around Sigrid's waist, seeing the precious metal strand the Goblin held in his hand. "You can't take that! It belonged to our Ma!" For as strong as Sigrid was being, her younger sister couldn't keep the tears from her eyes. "It's all we have left!"

The older girl hushed her, gesturing her to remain behind her body. The Goblin grinned, the back story making his prize all the more worthy to him. He made up his mind, turning to the counter and grabbing the piles of bills that Ori had stacked for him. He shoved them into his coat, with his gun still trained on the blonde sisters. Ori looked like he was shaking in his boots, so he doubted the cashier was going to try and be a hero. As soon as he was done taking all of the cash on the counter, he turned his attention back to Sigrid.

He waved the gun towards the exit. "Leave the girl and come with me," he demanded, reveling in the fear that showed on her face as Sigrid realized his intentions. "I said, move!" He barked, reaching out and tugging her arm to him.

The Goblin heard a gun cock, and immediately pulled Sigrid in front of him, pressing the barrel of his Glock against her back and pointing her in the direction he'd heard the noise come from.

Fíli stood blocking the entrance with his Sig Sauer raised in his right hand, supporting it with his left. "Dale PD, let her go and drop your weapon," he ordered. If he had been only a few seconds earlier, he would have had a clear shot on the Goblin, but using Sigrid as a human shield posed some additional problems he didn't want to deal with. Tilda stood a few feet away, tears streaming down her face, hands fisted in the front of her skirt, aching to defend her sister, but knowing she couldn't do anything.

As the Goblin laughed at Fíli, he took the moment of distraction to meet Sigrid's gaze and nod his head in Tilda's direction. She seemed to understand, and licked her lips, turning her head to her younger sister.

"Tilda, don't cry, you'll be okay." This drew her younger sister's attention up to her, and out of the Goblin's line of sight, she slowly pointed to the leg of the Goblin behind her. They just needed a distraction, and hopefully the Goblin didn't already have his finger on the trigger, or her spine would likely be shattered.

"Quiet," He growled in her ear, pressing the barrel further into her back and she straightened her spine in an attempt to get as far away as her captor would allow her.

"I'm warning you, let her go and we can end this peacefully," Fíli knew that reasoning with the Goblin was madness, but he had to make another effort before blowing out the monster's knee cap. He rested his finger against the trigger, waiting for his chance.

Tilda picked the perfect time, launching herself at the Goblin and delivering a helluva kick into his shin, just like her big brother had taught her. The man cursed, his attention brought away from Fíli momentarily as he looked down at the little girl. Simultaneously, Sigrid twisted away from him as much as his grip allowed. He didn't release her, but she was able to turn to the side and duck, making her body mass as small as possible and allowing Fíli a larger target.

He pulled the trigger on his gun, hitting the Goblin in the arm and effectively causing him to drop his Glock to the floor. The robber abandoned his grip on Sigrid, who crawled a few feet away and out of his reach. Tilda quickly moved behind the brute of a man and launched herself at her older sister, wrapping her arms around Sigrid's neck and burying her face in her shoulder, her small body wracked with silent sobs.

The Goblin reached into his jacket, either to draw another gun or a knife, but Fíli didn't wait to find out. He pulled the trigger again, lodging a bullet in the Goblin's gut. Neither of the shots were fatal, which meant the bastard would be alive to answer for his crimes, and that was just fine with Fíli. The Goblin dropped to his knees, pressing his uninjured hand against his stomach with a groan. The blond detective pulled a spare pair of hand cuffs from where they had been tucked behind his back. "Call 911 and report what happened," he told Ori, who obliged immediately.

Fíli hauled the Goblin to his feet, the gang member nearly whimpering at the movement. With a quick glance around the store, Fíli found a good sturdy pole near the back exit around which to handcuff the idiot. "Alright, dumbass, wait here until your ride shows up." He tucked his Sig Sauer back into the holster at his side. "Don't move," he added for good humor.

"You shot me!" 

"Oh, fuck off," Fíli muttered under his breath, turning back to assess the two sisters who were still crouched below the counter with wide eyes. He crouched beside them, resting on the balls of his feet. "Let's go outside, yeah?" He directed to the older one, 'Sigrid', as he had learned. She nodded, wrapping an arm around Tilda's back and rising to her feet, bringing the younger girl with her. Though she was too old to be carried, Tilda didn't protest as Fíli lead the both of them outside to sit on the curb.

"Are you okay?" He asked the both of them, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket.

"Smoking is bad for you," Tilda told him before he could even pull a cigarette from the package. He took one look at her tear-stained face and heaved a sigh.

"I know, that's why I'm throwing them away," he told her, twisting at the waist and tossing the nearly-full pack into the trash can. Goddamnit, he was going to need to stop at another gas station on his way home to pick up some more.

The younger girl smiled, untangling herself from Sigrid's neck and launching herself at Fíli.

"Tilda!" Sigrid tried to catch her, but was a beat too late as her younger sister flung her arms around his neck and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. "That's not polite, stop that!" Her face was bright crimson as she tried to pry Tilda's arms off of Fíli, who actually chuckled. It wasn't that he normally disliked children, but he found himself uncomfortable around them most of the time. They were curious and strangely sticky and had no concept of a mental filter. But Tilda had been brave and headstrong, and reminded him of Kíli when they had been younger.

"It's okay," he waved a hand at Sigrid's prying hands, allowing Tilda to squeeze the life out of him, before relinquishing her grip and plopping down on the sidewalk in-between her sister and her new best friend. "Tilda, why don't you go inside and grab that pizza you two were going to buy. Don't worry, that Goblin isn't going anywhere. You sure showed him who was boss." The younger girl beamed, perhaps not understanding the gravity of the situation. Had Fíli not been there at that exact moment... Sigrid could have become his next case.

As Tilda took the retrieval of the pizza as her personal mission, he turned to her older sister. "Sigrid, right? Are you alright?" He reached out and brushed his fingers over her arm, where the Goblin had grabbed her. The skin was still red, and he didn't doubt that it would bruise. Her strong demeanor crumbled, and she buried her face in her hands as the reality of the situation slammed into her. He heard her take a shaky breath, and worried for a moment that she was getting weepy. He consoled a lot of grieving mothers, daughters, and wives, but it was definitely one of the hardest parts of his job.

When she lifted her head, he was relieved to see that she wasn't crying. She covered her mouth with a trembling hand. "Oh my God."

Fíli placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "You did everything right, given the situation. You should be proud, protecting your sister like that."

"I just don't understand," she propped her elbows on her bent knees, rubbing the back of her neck. Her fingers brushed against his, and he pulled his hand away. "We came to Dale to be safe. I can't always be around to protect Tilda... What if something happens to her and I'm not around?" He thought back to the conversation the two sisters had in the store, and how school was taking Sigrid away from her family.

"Your father is in Laketown, I gathered." He didn't mention her mother, as he also gathered that she was no longer around. "Are you Tilda's sole caregiver?"

Sigrid's spine straightened, and she looked at him as if she'd been struck. "I love my siblings, and I would do anything for them. Da provides for them financially, I just take care of them." She nearly wilted right before his eyes. "Please, don't take them away from me."

Fíli held his hands up, palms out to show he had not intended to offend her. "That's not my job, Sigrid. I was merely curious. You seem to be doing a good job raising Tilda, at least." The aforementioned younger sibling came out of the store, the pizza box in one hand and a pop in the other hand.

"Mr. Ori gave me a soda!" She showed the both of them, squeezing in-between the two adults, where she could resume being the center of attention. When her older sister opened her mouth, Tilda gave her a knowing look. "Yes, I told him thank you, and yes, I know I can't have soda before dinner, and I will have to share with Bain. Anything else?"

Fíli couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth, and he shrugged his shoulders as Sigrid glared at him. At that moment, they heard the  _woop_  of a police siren as the black and white cop car pulled into the gas station parking lot. He stood, dusting off his jeans and looking down at the two girls. "The beat cop will take your statement."

"Wait!" Sigrid stood, though he hadn't moved yet. "How can we thank you, Officer...?"

"Detective," he corrected. "Durinson." He held out hid hand for her to shake.

"Sigrid Bowman."

"And Tilda Bowman!" The young girl still seated on the sidewalk chirped.

He felt like he couldn't leave them empty-handed after such an event, but he did his job because he wanted to better the community, bring answers to people, and serve justice. He didn't do it for whatever type of thanks Sigrid was offering, be it dinner or drinks or money. "There's no need to thank me, I'm just doing my job." He felt a strange pang in her chest at the crestfallen look on her face, and tried to think of some way to make her smile again.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He could see her start to protest, but he produced a card from his wallet and handed it to her. "This has my office and my cell number on it, if you run into any trouble." Sigrid took it with a quiet thank you, looking over to the officer that was quickly approaching.

"I'll leave this mess to you," he told the cop and wished the two girls goodbye. As he walked back to his car, he thought about how he'd likely never see them again.


	2. Peridot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said every other weekend? This is the exception, not the rule! Your kind words encourage faster writing. ;)

When she wasn't studying or taking care of Tilda and Bain, Sigrid interned in the emergency room at the Dale University Hospital. Most of her time was spent stitching up accidental knife wounds and pulling assorted objects out of children's noses. Occasionally there would be an anomaly of a case, like the woman last week who had been brought in with a meat clever embedded three inches into her skull, but still walking and talking like the rest of society.

Tonight was one of those exceptions.

She fingered the card Detective Durinson had given her, running her fingers over the embossed letters of his name like she had many times before. She never had any reason to call him, but she carried his card with her everywhere she went, now. She wasn't normally afraid of having to defend herself, but the incident at the gas station last week was still fresh in her mind. She would have gone with the Goblin if it would have meant protecting Tilda from harm, but she was almost certain what her fate would have been.

She was to register for classes in the coming weeks, and she'd successfully convinced her father to allow her to sign up for a self-defense class during the summer. It wasn't necessary for her degree, but she might have fibbed a bit and told him that she needed to fulfill a physical education requirement. Her father would rather she didn't find herself in scenarios where she needed to defend herself, but that was simply unreasonable. Laketown's seedy activities were starting to spill into Dale, and even though the neighborhood they lived in was still relatively unscathed, she was still wary. She'd brought Tilda to that same gas station countless times before. If Orcs and Goblins were going to become emboldened, well, she would protect her own by any means necessary.

Finally making up her mind, she glanced around the nurses' station and saw that it was relatively deserted. It was nearly 1 in the morning, and contrary to popular belief, the most interesting admissions to the ER didn't come in the middle of the night. However, Sigrid took night classes so that she could work at her internship overnight and be home just in time in the morning to cook her siblings' breakfast. She would grab a few hours of sleep, clean the house they rented, pick the kids up from school, and pop dinner in the oven. Bain had to serve dinner and clean up afterwards, help Tilda with her multiplication tables, and put the young girl to bed. He did so with no complaints, but Sigrid wished she didn't have to shirk the responsibility.

Sigrid picked up the phone and after a few moments, placed it back in its cradle, chewing on the edge of her thumb nail. Steeling her nerves, she grabbed the phone again, and dialed his cell phone number before she could change her mind. She moved around the nurse's station as far as the corded phone would allow, pressing her back against the hall and keeping an eye out for any residents or doctors heading her direction.

Fíli picked up on the third ring, sounding surprisingly awake for the late hour. She assumed he was used to midnight calls, but felt guilty nonetheless. "Hello?"

"Detective Durinson? This is Sigrid Bowman. Um, from the gas station last week?"

"Sure, I remember. What can I do for you at... 12:49 in the morning?" He probably regretted handing her his card now, though he didn't sound overly annoyed.

"Listen, I'm breaking a lot of rules calling you right now." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her resident in charge turn the corner at the end of the hall. "Can you please come to the Dale University Hospital emergency room? Room 326. It's... it's Kíli. I've got to go." She quickly hung up the phone before Fíli could answer and before her resident noticed what she was doing.

* * *

 

Fíli dressed as quickly as humanly possible, barely leaving enough time to lock up his apartment before he sped in his car to the hospital. While his body was moving as fast as he could, his mind was racing twice the speed.

Why was Kíli in the hospital? What trouble had that idiot got himself into now? And why was Sigrid calling to fill him in? Was she with Kíli when he'd gotten into whatever stupid shit caused him injury? Was she injured as well?

It had been maybe twenty minutes max from the moment he hung up the phone with Sigrid to when he spotted her as he rounded the corner in the direction of the room she'd told him. Half of his questions were answered when he noticed her attire - a pair of light pink nursing scrubs. He ignored the strange sense of relief he felt at the knowledge she wasn't in physical danger. Again.

"You're a nurse?" Fíli asked as he drew closer, brows furrowing. He didn't know why that surprised him, considering how she seemed to care for her younger siblings. He'd only met her for a few brief and tense moments, it wasn't like they'd exchanged life stories, introductions, or even pleasantries in the traumatic situation.

"Intern," she replied, pushing herself up from leaning against the wall across from room 326. She moved to stand in front of the door as he approached.

"He told me not to call you, but I... I couldn't help it. If it were Tilda or Bain, I..." She licked her lips, nervously fiddling with her hands. He thanked her quickly for calling him and tried to push past her and into the room. She shifted, lifting her hand and pressing it against the door jamb, halting his progress. He liked Sigrid, he did, but at that moment he glared at her. "I need to prepare you for what you'll see," she explained, not flinching away from him. He had to hand it to her, she hadn't turned into a damsel in distress against that Goblin, and she stood her ground against a detective, armed to the teeth.

"I don't care, I need to see him," he shot back, pulling her hand down easily and pushing into the room, willing himself to stay strong no matter what condition Kíli was in. He heard Sigrid follow him, closing the door behind the both of them, but didn't acknowledge her any further. He moved closer to the figure in the bed, seeing his younger brother tossing and turning. "Kíli-" He was barely able to speak his name, before Kíli's head rolled to look at him, and the rest of his words died in his throat.

Kíli was sweating profusely, his dark hair clinging to his neck and forehead. He had massive dark circles below his eyes, and the hollows of his cheeks were especially pronounced in the dim hospital lighting. The lights must have been on a timer, and being the middle of the night, on a low setting to allow patients to sleep. It was haunting. And though Kíli seemed to recognize Fíli, he couldn't focus in one spot for long. Suddenly, intense anger clouded his features, and he looked past his brother to Sigrid, still standing by the door, with her hands clasped in front of her.

"You-! You bitch! I told you not to call him, _I will fucking kill you!_ " He all but screamed in her direction, struggling to get out of the bed. It was at that moment that Fíli noticed his younger brother was wearing wrist restraints, and must have restraints covering his chest and his legs under the hospital sheet.

Fíli stared in horror at the man in the bed who looked like his brother, sounded like his brother, but acted nothing like he was supposed to. "Kíli, what's the matter with you?" His younger brother had always been reckless and foolhardy, but still kind-hearted. The Kíli he had grown up with would never have raised his voice unnecessarily or threatened physical harm or death on someone. "She called me because you're in the hospital, and making sure you're alright is what family does, you idiot." If he weren't injured, Kíli would have received a deft smack upside the side of his head.

Kíli struggled against his restraints, his eyes still locked on Sigrid, who still had not moved from her spot. Fíli glanced back at her and saw her chin lifted defiantly, though she had to avert her eyes from Kíli as he still struggled to leave the bed. Fíli moved to stand in Kíli's line of vision, finally drawing the attention back to him. "What's going on?" He demanded, moving closer to his brother, but still blocking his view of Sigrid.

Kíli's eyes softened as he gazed upon his brother, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "Oh, Fíli, when did you get here? You've got to help me!" He nodded with his head to the restraints at his wrists and elsewhere. "They're keeping my captive here, they're trying to kill me!" He had a wild look in his eyes, as they flitted about the room, never stopping too long to focus on something.

"Why do you say that?" Fíli asked, taking a step closer, and resting one of his hands on Kíli's forearm.

The dark haired brother groaned, rolling his head against the pillow so that he was gazing at the opposing wall. "It hurts, Fí." His shoulder rose off of the bed as he tried once again to free himself of the restraints. Now that Fíli had moved from blocking his vision of Sigrid, Kíli's eyes strayed to the young nursing intern again. "And she doesn't care! She won't do anything to help me!"

Sigrid finally spoke from her spot near the door. "Someone called the cops and reported shots fired in the 600 block of the Heights, and they brought him in. Kíli suffered a gunshot wound to stomach, but it's not serious. We've given him some mild pain killers, but we're wary of giving him anything else until..." She looked from Fíli to Kíli with a short sigh.

Realization dawned on Fíli's features as he sunk into the chair next to Kíli's bedside. "Shit." He drug his hand across his face. "You're coming down, aren't you? Kíli, what the fuck?"

Sigrid silently made her way to the opposite side of Kíli, checking the vitals on the machine next to the bed. She made sure to keep her distance from the side of the bed, even though the inhabitant was firmly strapped down to the mattress. She was used to being accosted on the job from time to time, though she was loathe to admit that the incident in the gas station the week prior set her on edge more than normal.

Kíli made no move in her direction, rather staring straight up at the ceiling with unfocused eyes. For a long moment, the only noise in the room was the occasional beeping on the machine and the scratch of Sigrid's pencil as she took notes on Kíli's chart.

"I really fucked up, Fí," he admitted, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to keep the room from spinning. "I went to the Heights, looking for some Crystal. A couple of Orcs jumped me, but were stupid enough not to get any vital organs." Kíli was attempting humor, but no one in the room really felt like laughing.

"Why?" It was a rhetorical question, but Fíli still couldn't help asking. "What about school? Does Thorin know you're here? Kíli, why didn't you call me? I could have found you some help!" He leaned forward, grasping his brother's hand in both of his. He had dealt with his family's drug and alcohol abuse in the past, which was why Fíli was so shocked that his own brother would so easily forget the havoc Crystal had wrought on their family.

Kíli snorted, wishing to pull his hand away, cursing the fact that the restraints held him in place. "How could I? I couldn't make it in the Academy, I'm barely making it through my classes... Should I have called you and told you that I failed again?"

Fíli groaned in frustration, pulling his hands back as he rested his elbows on his knees, running both hands through his short blonde hair. "Kí, you're my brother, my blood. You've never been a failure, and I will always do whatever I can to help you. Thorin would-"

"Ha! I called Thorin," Kíli answered with a sneer. "Have you talked to him lately?" Fíli shook his head. "Go ahead, give him a call. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you." He sighed, suddenly finding it hard to keep his eyes open. He'd been awake for nearly two days, and without the Crystal to keep his system going, he was certain he'd crash soon, and crash hard. He'd expended a lot of his energy trying to rip out of the restraints keeping him to the bed.

"Kíli?" The older Durinson asked, growing concerned that his brother appeared to be struggling to maintain consciousness. Only moments ago, he'd hulking out and shouting spiritedly enough to wake the dead.

Sigrid looked over from where she was still recording vital signs, lowering the chart and grasping it in front of her, as if it could shield her from any further insults hurled at her. "His body is worn out and it's finally catching up with him," she explained, hoping to answer the questioning look on Fíli's face. "Rest will be good for him."

At the sound of her voice, Kíli's head rolled again in her direction, with a bit more difficulty than earlier. He sighed, feeling tears prick his eyes. "I'm sorry," he choked out, trying to reach for her arm, his efforts still thwarted by the leather cuffs holding his arms to the bed. "I'm just so scared."

She smiled softly, loosening her grip on the chart-shield, and taking his hand in hers. "Don't worry about it, I understand. Get some rest, and we can see about getting you out of these things in the morning," she thumbed the clasp of the leather restraints, but she'd already broken too many rules this night. "The worst of it should be over now."

Kíli nodded as she released his hand, leaning back against the bed and closing his heavy eyes. A tear squeezed out from under one eyelid as he let out a soft sigh. "Fíli..."

"I'm not going anywhere," his older brother replied, patting Kíli's shoulder. Sigrid offered him a tight-lipped smile, before tucking the chart under her arm and heading for the door. He stood quickly, startling her as she reached the door, tempted to deploy her chart-shield again. "You said you broke a lot of rules to call me?"

Her shoulders relaxed and she nodded, keeping her eyes focused on the door knob so she didn't have to meet his gaze. "Kíli didn't consent to contacting his family regarding his... condition. In fact, he vehemently refused." She licked her lips, meeting his eyes briefly before resuming her consideration of the door knob. "It's not just a hospital rule, it's law. If we don't have consent from the patient, we're not allowed to discuss anything, even if it means keeping their family from knowing their well-being. If Kíli sued or if anyone found out... My career would be over before it even began."

Fíli took a few steps closer, her head turning to watch him as he walked. "Then why did you do it? Why chance it?"

Sigrid smiled slightly. "You saved Tilda's life and mine. I wanted to repay you, and when Kíli came into the ER, I knew I had to tell you."

"How did you even know we were related?"

"I didn't. At least, not at first. He was mugged when he went to the Heights, but they left his ID in his wallet, giving us his name. I thought it had to be more than a coincidence that your names rhyme," she pointed out with a slight laugh. Fíli had to admit that it probably was a lot easier to tie the two of them together. "And I asked him if I could call anyone for him, if I could call his brother, and that was when he went ballistic, and they applied the..." She paused, gesturing to her wrists to indicate the restraints that held Kíli to the bed.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I know Crystal messes you up, but he never should have said those things to you."

"It's alright, truly. I meant it when I said that I understand." She avoided his eyes again, looking instead to his left, where Kíli seemed to be resting peacefully. "I've seen the abuse and the withdrawal firsthand. It changes people, turns them into someone they aren't. My Da... After our Ma died, he was lost for a long time. He pulled himself back, fighting tooth and nail, and I couldn't be more proud. But it was the worst few years of my life." Her gaze flickered to his momentarily, and she hated the pity she saw there. She reached for the doorknob to make her escape. "If Kíli is a fighter, he'll make it, too."

"Sigrid..."

"I'll check back in before my shift is over, if you're still around. I'll make sure he's okay." And with that, she disappeared into the hallway.

* * *

 

Fíli stirred when he felt a pressure on his forearm. He shifted in his seat, blinking sleepily as he tried to gain his bearings. He had fallen asleep in the chair next to Kíli's bed, his temple resting against his closed fist.

"Fíli."

Blinking a few more times, he finally noticed that Sigrid was kneeling in front of him, her hand resting against his forearm. He frowned slightly, lifting his head and checking the time on his wrist – goddamnit, he forgot to put on his watch.

"It's 5:30, my shift is almost over. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Both of you." Her hand was still resting on his arm, her thumb tracing a soft line against his wrist. "Kíli will wake up in a few hours, maybe late morning. He might not remember much, even from the past few days. Depending on how long he's been using, he'll be in rough shape for a while."

"But he'll be okay, right?" Fíli didn't want to admit that he scared for his brother, but he couldn't help it. He was the older one, he was supposed to take care of Kíli and make sure he didn't get into any trouble. Growing up, he and Kíli did everything together. When the younger Durinson wasn't accepted into the Police Academy, it had driven an unintentional rift between them. Kíli didn't understand that he was more disappointed in himself than Fíli could ever be.

Sigrid understood, being an older sibling herself. "It will be tough, and Kíli will only get better if he wants to get better. He can't do it for anyone else, no matter how hard he wants to. You just have to be supportive and patient. Don't get angry with him if he falls backwards a few steps, it's going to be the hardest thing he's ever tried to accomplish." She removed her hand, settling down to sit with her back propped up against the side of Kíli's bed.

"Your father… how long has he been sober?"

She didn't even have to think about it. "Three solid years. Ma died a little over six years ago, and he was lost almost immediately. The first year, he completely disappeared." She traced her fingers along a tile on the floor as she recalled the hardest years of her life. "Tilda was only a year old, and Bain and I had to take care of her, with the help of some kindly neighbors. We would have been out on the streets, otherwise."

Fíli felt anger bubble up his throat, and he had to grind his teeth to keep it from spewing forth.

"He finally came back one day to pick us up; pretended that nothing was wrong and he hadn't abandoned us. He moved us to Laketown where he told us he'd started a job as a bargeman. That year was worse than the first, because we could watch the Crystal destroy him." She shifted her gaze to look out the window, watching the early dawn light beginning to filter through the blinds.

"How could a father do that to his children?" He hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud until Sigrid turned to meet his eyes.

"It's impossible to understand if you haven't seen it up close. That third year, I watched him try  _so hard_  to come back to us. He moved us to Dale to protect us, from Laketown and from himself. Kíli will undoubtedly mess up, but that doesn't mean he isn't trying or he doesn't want to get better. He needs to know that you will love him no matter what."

"Of course I do—"

"Tell him until he's sick of hearing it." Sigrid stood from the floor, brushing a few wrinkles out of her scrubs. "If you ever need advice or if you just need to talk, I'm willing to listen."

Fíli nodded quietly, his attention brought back to his brother as Sigrid moved aside the bedspread and started removing the restraints holding Kíli's wrists and legs in place. He watched her silently, and wanted to thank her for everything she'd done and had a strong urge to take her up on her offer right then and there. By the time he talked himself out of spilling his hopes, fears, and dreams to an utter stranger, she had already finished her work and picked up Kíli's chart from the end of the bed.

"Be strong for him, Fíli, because he can't be strong for himself," Sigrid murmured, offering a small smile and leaving the room before he could fully register everything she'd said to him, including how he was supposed to contact her with no phone number

But she was gone.


	3. Aventurine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a whole lot of plot in this one, just a bit of relationship and character development. And Bombur!

It was only a week later, when Fíli wished to take Sigrid up on her proposal, that he truly realized he didn't have any way to contact her outside of knowing where she worked and what gas station she frequented. He was sure he could use some of his means through work to find her home address or phone number, but wanted to try and avoid the most disturbing of communication methods. 

He was worried that Kíli was feeling the allure of the Crystal and he was turning back to his self-destructive tendencies. While he had hundreds of friends or contacts on the police force that could answer any of his questions on addiction, he felt compelled to talk to someone who already understood the situation. Their uncle, Thorin, had been a respected police chief for years, and his fall from grace already hung over Fíli's head. He didn't want to admit to those that wanted to see him fail that his brother was struggling with a drug addiction.

And so here he was, sitting outside of the hospital at damn near six in the morning, waiting for Sigrid to finish her shift. He didn't even know if she worked every day or even the same hours each time she did work. From the small amount of personal information she shared with him, he knew she worked the night shift as often as she could.

"Fíli?"

Luck seemed to be on his side for once.

He turned his head towards the hospital and saw Sigrid approaching him cautiously, wrapping her coat tightly around her torso. The weather had warmed for a few days, luring the entire city into a false sense of security, before dumping rain, sleet, and arctic temperatures on the unsuspecting victims.

"What are you doing here? Is everything alright? Is it Kíli?"

Fíli stood from the bench as she drew closer, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark brown leather jacket. "It's not... well, it is Kíli, I guess. I was wondering if we could grab a cup of coffee."

"At six AM?" She asked with a slightly unbelieving laugh, her breath turning into a visible puff between them.

He opened his mouth and found he didn't have a good answer for that and that his plan of stalking her outside of her work was probably not the first thing he should have attempted. Really, using his police resources seemed to be the less creepy option, now. He removed a hand from his pocket to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "I guess I didn't really think this through, did I?"

Sigrid smiled knowingly, shaking her head. "Not really." She started walking again and motioned with a tilt of her head to follow along. "Come on, I know a place that's only a block over."

He followed after her, jogging a half-step to catch up. "Do you need to get home to your siblings?" He hadn't even considered the fact that the entire reason she worked the night shift was so that she could get Tilda and Bain ready for school in the mornings. "We can get coffee later. I really wasn't thinking on my way here."

"It seems fate made you stop by today, Fíli." She joked, turning the corner once they reached the end of the hospital courtyard. "Da took a few days off from work and is staying with us. I told him that I was going to the library after work to cram in a few hours of studying." She turned, showing him the backpack she had slung over her shoulders. "He told me I work too hard, and I told him that was the pot calling the kettle black."

"I don't know your father, but he seems like a smart man." He shrugged his shoulders when Sigrid glared at him. "You're what, twenty-four?"

"Twenty-two."

"Mahal." She was younger than she looked, which he probably shouldn't say out loud to her. Kíli was only a year younger than the woman, and headed down an incredibly different path. She was just under six years younger than he was and already shouldered the responsibility of being a single parent, working a full time job, and taking a full load of classes. It only proved his point. "You're going to burn yourself out before you even have a chance to live your own life."

"Oh, sure, says the cop who was promoted to Detective when he was twenty-six, which is practically unheard of."

Fíli glanced side-long at her with a tilt of his head. He didn't remember mentioning that detail when he'd seen her last at the hospital. She was silent for another beat, and he could have sworn her cheeks reddened, though perhaps it was from the strong wind that picked up and whipped her hair in and out of her face.

"I looked you up." Sigrid explained, lifting a hand to shove her hair back over her shoulder and out of her face. "I was curious."

He felt a strange sense of pride from her words, and wondered at it for a moment. Surely there was no hidden meaning behind her intentions. It was only natural for someone to want to know more about a person that had essentially saved them from danger. And yet... He shook the thought off.

"You could have asked. I would have been honest with you."

"It didn't seem that important when there was a gun about to paralyze me or your brother having drug-induced hallucinations and threatening to kill me."

"Touché. Alright, since you know about me, what don't I know about you?"

She smiled, but didn't turn to look at him. "Nothing that interesting, I assure you." She raised her hand and pointed to the sign of a steaming cup of coffee swinging above a dimly let building. "Bombur's is right over there."

The two of them crossed the street in amicable silence, though he couldn't help feeling a little cheated at how she avoided answering his question.

Inside the cafe, the lights were so dim that for a moment, Fíli was sure the establishment was actually closed and they had forgotten to lock the door before leaving. However, there were a few college students spread about in boothes that had additional lights jutting out from the wall. They appeared to be adjustable, and shone over books and notes and stressed faces.

Sigrid led him to the counter, where an almost impossibly rotund man stood ready to take their orders.

"Oh, Sigrid! It's been such a long time! You've been working too much, haven't you?"

Fíli snorted, and she ignored him to smile in favor of the human ball behind the register. "I've just been working and studying, thank you, Bombur. After this semester, I've only got another year left in the program."

"That's great! And also terrible! You've been solely supporting this business for the last three years." Bombur laughed a mighty laugh, and one of the disgruntled students looked up from his intense studying to see what the commotion was about. Deciding it wasn't worth his time, he returned to his book.

"You'll be just fine, Bombur." She rolled her eyes and glanced up at the menu, even though she didn't need to. "I'll just have the usual." She shifted to remove one of the straps of her backpack, no doubt to retrieve money.

Fíli stepped forward, moving slightly in front of her, hoping she'd take the hint. "And I'll have a cup of the lightning blend, room for sugar and cream," he told Bombur while pulling his wallet from his back pocket. Bombur looked between the two of them for a moment, before smiling a cheeky grin.

"That'll be $6.49, then." Fíli handed him a $10 bill and told him to keep the change. "I'll bring those out to you when they're ready." He gave a wink in Sigrid's direction, and when Fíli turned to look at her she appeared flustered. Surely she didn't take Bombur's flirting seriously?

Sigrid headed towards the back of the building, and he followed. They picked a small table in one of the corners that was far enough away from the only two other people in the area so that they could talk freely with no concerns of eavesdroppers.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Hm? You mean buy your coffee?"

"Tea, and yes." She sat down on one side of the table, shifting her backpack from her shoulders and letting it prop up against the wall beside her. "I might not be able to take on any Goblins, yet, but I'm perfectly capable of buying my own drink."

Fíli lowered himself into the chair across from her, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "You sure make it hard for a guy to be polite. My brother berated you on the job with death threats, you agreed to sit down and talk with me immediately after your overnight shift, you work too hard and you deserve it, or I was being a gentleman. Take your pick." He crossed his right ankle over his left knee, watching her flounder for a retort and come up with nothing. "Wait, you said you can't take any Goblins on yet."

Sigrid hadn't realized her slip of the tongue, and averted her gaze to the bookshelf along the wall behind Fíli. "I am going to take self-defense classes this summer." She knew her Da's feelings on the matter, which is why she hadn't exactly been truthful with him. "I'm not looking for trouble, but I want to know what to do if I find it. I know I haven't properly thanked you for what you did, and I think we both know where I would be if you had stopped in just twenty minutes later. I can't always expect to be saved just in time."

Fíli shifted so that he could rest his elbow atop the back of his chair, scratching at his beard as he noticed her apparent unease with the topic. "I think it's a great idea."

"Really?" Her eyes slid to his, expecting to find him joking or something of the sort.

"Of course. You've already got a warrior's spirit. I could tell from the moment you almost shot lasers from your eyes when you thought I was suggesting Tilda be taken from you."

Sigrid grimaced, wrinkling her nose at the thought. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Don't be. I'd have reacted the same way if it were..." Kíli. He didn't have to finish that thought for both of them to know who he meant. Yes, he supposed that was why he had asked her to get coffee with him, but it had been so much easier when they were trading teasing remarks and talking about anything else.

They were saved from a terribly awkward silence when Bombur arrived with each of their drinks, setting down the incredibly strong coffee in front of Fíli, and the sweet, honey-smelling tea in front of Sigrid. The human ball winked in her direction again, and Fíli thought for a moment that she was going to swat him, but she instead quipped a thanks to him and busied herself with stirring her tea. Bombur shrugged in Fíli's direction, and waddled back to his post behind the counter.

A few more seconds ticked by where neither of them spoke. Fíli dropped two cubes of sugar and a healthy splash of creamer into his coffee, stirring it with one of those tiny straws, of which Kíli used to always question their usefulness. He never dignified the stupid question with an equally stupid answer, just a sigh, and he sighed just thinking about it. He missed his brother, not whatever he'd become.

Sigrid waited patiently for him to speak, and he appreciated that. It was hard enough for him to admit that he was struggling with something this personal, but he had also sought out an almost complete stranger in which to confide.

"How is school?" He wasn't ready.

"It's going well." She understood.

She shrugged out of her jacket, now that she had warmed up a bit from the chill outside. "I have one last test at the end of this week, and then I'll be done until next semester. With the exception of the self-defense class, of course." She warmed her hands around her teacup. "How is work? I'm... not really sure what constitutes as a good day or a bad day in your field."

He gave an understanding nod, taking a long swig from his coffee cup before answering. "A good day is when I'm able to bring closure to a family. There are many kinds of bad days. Any day I need to break the news to a victim's family, any day I need to transfer a case out of the department because it's gone cold, any day I can't bring closure to someone." He set his mouth in a thin line, tracing his thumb over the lip of his mug. "There are a lot of bad days."

Mahal, he was just exquisite conversation today.

Fíli chanced a look up across the table, and saw a strangely pained expression on Sigrid's face. He felt an instant desire to fix whatever he'd done wrong to make her look like that. "I'm sorry, I should really think up a better answer to that question."

She shook her head, frowning down into her tea. "No, it's true. Without an answer, without closure, you can't ever move on. You always wonder and it eats away at you until...." Well, until you pour yourself into school and work and caring for your siblings so you don't have any time to think or feel.

"Your mother?" He couldn't help but ask, wondering if she too needed someone to listen. Of course, she was always doing the listening or the mothering or the fixing. When did anyone stop and take a moment to ask if she was okay?

Sigrid took a sip of tea, resuming her study of the books over Fíli's shoulder. She wasn't really focusing on any of them, but it kept her grounded for the moment. However, she couldn't find the strength to speak out loud what she often thought to herself. Her father never spoke of her mother or her untimely death, but Sigrid had been old enough to read the news in the papers herself. She read enough to know that her mother's death was violent and unprovoked, and as of yet, unsolved. But for her father, it was easier to pretend she had never existed.

Fíli found that he wanted to listen to her story, and hoped maybe she would open up if he were able to do the same. "I'm worried Kíli is using, again."

Her attention shifted back to him, looking almost relieved to be able to talk about something else. Though she had a feeling she wasn't off the hook. "What makes you think that?" There was no judgement in her tone, she was merely asking for the facts of the situation that led him to his belief.

"Twice I've been called to the station for a case in the middle of the night, and found that he's climbed out the window and gone down the fire escape. He's always back when I come home or when I wake up in the morning, but what reason could he have to do that if he wasn't back to using?"

"Have you asked him about it?"

Fíli snorted. "We haven't talked about it so much as argued vehemently about it. He swears that he isn't using again, but that he is actually sneaking out to see a girl. What kind of fool does he take me for?"

"How does he act when he's home? Is he conscious most of the time? Coherent?" Leave it to her to actually force him to think reasonably. In his line of work, not to mention with his family's history, he knew how to spot a Crystal junkie from a mile away.

"He's nothing like he was in the hospital, if that's what you mean. After the first few days of being irritable, he actually seems back to normal. Almost like the Kíli I remember, before this whole thing went to shit." No, he couldn't pick out any behavior in the recent days that could be attributed to Crystal. "But that doesn't change the fact that he's sneaking out, and he insults my intelligence by suggesting it's anything but drugs."

Sigrid didn't seem convinced, shrugging as she took another sip of her honeyed tea. "Give him an ultimatum. Ask to meet the girl or to tell the truth. You have to be patient, but you also have to be strict. If he is out using again, you can't let him sap you of your strength and independence. As hard as it may be to let him fail, it's the best thing you can do for him."

He pondered her words for a moment. "I can at least try it. If nothing else, it will force him to admit that I'm the more emotionally stable brother."

She let out a loud laugh, lifting her hand to shield her mouth. Her mind had obviously been elsewhere and not expecting his comment. Her laughter quieted, but her eyes still shone with mirth, and he couldn't help but grin in return. She was too young to be so somber all of the time, and he was glad that he had been the one to bring her a few seconds of true laughter. She was about to comment, undoubtedly to tease him about just how emotionally stable he was, when his cell phone rang in his jacket pocket. With a silent curse, he drew out his phone and groaned when he saw it was the station.

"Durinson." He answered, mouthing a sincere 'I'm sorry' to Sigrid as he listened to the details of his newest case. Another gang-related death, as if he should be surprised. After promising to be down to the scene as soon as he could manage, he hung up with a sigh.

"I take it you've got a case to solve," she commented, rather than asked, watching him tuck his phone back into his jacket with a nod.

"Can I give you a ride home at least?"

Sigrid shook her head with a smile. "I'm going to stay here and study." She gestured to her backpack still on the floor. "Giant career-deciding test this week, remember?" But she couldn't help but be disappointed that their odd reunion was going to be cut short.

Fíli stood, unsure how to really thank her for listening or wish her goodbye or whatever was societally required in this kind of situation.

"Oh, hold on," she told him, leaning down and rummaging around in her backpack. She produced a pen and the only scrap of semi-usable paper she could find -- an old receipt she didn't even care to glance over. She scribbled something down and held it out to him. "Let me know how it goes with Kíli."

Her number. So he didn't have to sit outside her place of work and take bets as to whether or not the stars and the moon aligned in just the right pattern for their paths to cross again. "Or if we want to get coffee again? Under normal circumstances?" He couldn't stop himself from asking her, feeling a sense of camaraderie between them. She was easy to talk to and had a good head on her shoulders, and he couldn't ignore the fact that maybe he just wanted to see her again.

Sigrid smiled, and he could have sworn again that a blush dusted her cheeks, with no biting wind to blame this time. "I don't do normal circumstances, but I suppose I could make an exception."

Fíli smiled in return, wishing her good luck on her test and heading for the exit. He gave a wave to the ever-jovial Bombur, who winked in return. What a strange fellow. When he reached the door, he looked back over his shoulder to find Sigrid’s eyes on him, chewing on one of her thumb nails, perhaps in thought. Her cheeks tinged pink at being caught watching him, and she offered an embarrassed smile and a little half-wave of her hand, before turning and digging through her backpack in an attempt to avoid humiliating herself further. He watched her for another split second, before slipping out the door and into the dawn.

What was he getting himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter features more Kíli and brotherly interaction! As well as quite a bit of plot development! :)
> 
> Reviews are greatly appreciated! Truly, they keep me going, and I want to know how I can improve this story for your enjoyment. Longer chapters? Shorter chapters? More dialogue? Less dialogue? Are the characters true to form? Please let me know all of your thoughts, big or small!


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